Cap alarm device



Feb. 7, 1956 P. J. SHOWSTACK 2,733,681

CAP ALARM DEVICE Filed Feb. 15, 1954 INVENTOR. Paul Shamsfack United States Patent 2,733,681 CAP ALARM DEVICE Paul J. Showstack, Mattapan, Mass.

Application-February 15, 1954, Serial No. 410,212

2 Claims. (Cl. 116--105) The present invention relates to an alarm device, and

more particularly to a device which will provide an alarm or call recognition in the event of the occurrence of a fire in the neighborhood of the alarm device. The device of the present invention is intended to be mounted on a wall, a shelf, and in many other suitable places and provide an explosive sound which may be heard within the house and also outside in case that a fire occurs.

The object of the present invention is to provide an extremely cheap alarm device which may be used in liberal numbers in a home so as to cover possible areas where fires may originate.

Devices according to the present invention may be manufactured and sold at costs of a few cents each and even less and will ordinarily be distributed in various rooms of a home by nailing to a wall or by hanging on a hook, or the alarm device may be put in other positions such as in back of pictures, on molding, etc.

It is contemplated that several of the devices of the present invention may be used in one room, so that while the first may not attract attention or may not cause particular notice, the succession of explosions which occur by the firing of each alarm device will soon bring attention to the fact that excessive heat is in the vicinity of the alarm device. A

In my prior Patent No. 2,649,752, I have disclosed a self contained fire alarm and fire extinguisher in which a can of Freon when opened by the melting of a fusible plug, operates a siren which continues to operate after a considerable period of time. This device is extremely useful and practical, but due to its cost would usually not be distributed sufiiciently generally throughout the home so as to provide an alarm signal at substantially all places in the home, when a fire occurs.

In a copending application filed substantially with the present application, I have also disclosed the combination of a whistle which is operated by a can of Freon or the like when a fusible plug in the can opens to operate the whistle. This device can be manufactured at a substantially lower cost than the device of my Patent No. 2,649,752, but still does not provide the extremely cheap alarm which is provided in the present invention.

Without further describing the merits and advantages of the present invention, the invention will now be described in connection with the drawings set forth below illustrating the invention, in which:

Figure 1 shows one form of the alarm device.

Figure 2 shows a face view of the alarm device of Figure 1 as seen from the left,

Figure 3 shows a face view of the alarm device as seen from the right of Figure 1, and,

Figure 4 shows a modification of the arrangement of Figure 1.

In Figure 1 there is shown what may be called a clothes pin type alarm, comprising an arm or blade 1, and a second arm or blade 2 positioned opposite the blade 1, the two arms 1 and 2 being spring pivoted by ICC means of the spring 3. This construction is employed 'in "clothes pin type mechanisms. The spring 3 comprises a transverse wire element 4 which extends between the two arms 1 and 2 and which on the outer face joins as an integral part to a spring loop 5 which crosses transversely in a diagonal direction as indicated by the wire then extends diagonally across the element 10 which similarly terminates with a cross piece 11 which rests in a groove 12 in theback face of 'the'piece 2. These elements 3 to 12 form the spring closing element which urge the two pieces 1 and 2 together at their tips 13 and 14 providing a pivot about the transverse piece 4 of the spring. Normally the two elements 1 and 2 are held apart at the ends 13 and 14 by a fusible rivet 15 which has heads 16 and 17, one on the outer face of the piece 2 and the other on the outer face of the piece 1.

One or more explosive caps 18 and 19 may be placed on one of the inner surfaces of the tips13 and 14. The device is mounted on the wall by means of the pin or peg 20, which may pass through a hole 21 on an extension 22 of the end 1. When the fusible retainer 15 is melted by the heat of the fire, the ends 13 and 14 of the members 1 and 2 will be forced together by the spring 3 causing an explosion or a firing of the caps 18 and 19 which are mounted and cemented on the tip 13 and facing the other tip 14. These caps may have a water proof coating so that they will remain active substantially for an indefinite period of time.

While the type of explosive cap or cartridge shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, may be varied in construction, the general arrangement should be preserved. In this connection tension of the spring is obtained by the loop or coil elements 5 and 9, which if desired could be made smaller into the ordinary coil spring and be positioned between the two elements 1 and 2. In this case the coiled spring element may be made of a number of turns rather than a single end turn lying on the outside of the elements 1 and 2.

Another arrangement which may be used is that shown in Figure 4. In Figure 4, the two parts of the explosive pin 30 and 31 are tensioned by means of a substantially U-shaped spring strap 32 which has two arms 33 and 34 bearing against the sides of the pin or blade element 30 and 31 and extending around through an opening in the blade element as indicated at 35. The two elements 30 and 31 are substantially pivoted at a point 36 and normally without being tensioned apart would have their ends 37 and 38 in contact with one another. However a fusible wire 39 which is fastened at one end to the blade 31 as indicated at 40 and at the other end to the blade 30 as indicated at 41, holds the lower ends 37 and 38 apart from one another.

An explosive cap or caps are mounted in the ends 37 and 38, so that when the fusible wire 39 gives way, an explosion will occur. While the explosion does not produce a sound of any continued duration, it has been found experimentally in fairly well populated neighborhoods, an explosive sound which occurs at any time, usually calls the attention of some people and particularly those in the home where it occurs.

It has further been found that this explosive sound can be made to be of considerable volume and can provide a substantial alarm signal in case of fire. The whole device may be contained in a tin carton which may be mounted on the wall, which carton may be sealed if desired to prevent being tampered with. The cartridge if used may be set in the end of one arm and a firing pin may be set opposite in the end of the other arm.

3 J'l yin 1 9W s ssstih dlmy invention, I aim:

1. A fire alarm signal comprising a pair of arms spring means pivoti'ng' said' arms asoiira comifioh axis transverse to the lengthwise position of the arms in a position -.to urge the arms at one end toward one another; the other end of one of the arms extending beyond the adjacentend of the other arm,. providing means for mounting the fire alarm signal, a fusible wire maintaining said arms apart at said one end and an explosive cap mounted on; the

arm at said one end whereby when the fnsible wire melts 10 the arms will be impelled to contact one another to explode said cap.

2. A fire alarm signal comprising a clothes pin type device havinga pair of spring tensioned arms normally forced together at one end by the spring, a fusible element retaining the ends of said arms apart, explosive cap means positioned in opposing relation at the end of said arms whereby when the fusible element melts the explode said cap, an extension connected to one end of one of the arms and extending beyond the adjacent end of the other of the arms, providing means for mounting the fire alarm signal.

References Cited in the, file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

